The Art of Slowing Down.

In the fall of 2014, I attended a yoga class in Chicago. At the end of class, as I was lying on the floor, something hit me. A Tom Waites song was playing. My eyes were closed, and I was so focused on the music I almost felt inside of it. It occurred to me that listening to music in the setting of a serene yoga studio was having a profound effect on me. I was instantly calm. The spaciousness, the wood floors and the candles all added to the experience. I went home afterwards and had the idea that I wanted to make music for people to experience that same feeling who may not practice yoga. In other words, I wanted to create an imaginary yoga studio in people’s minds. It was then that a word popped into my head—Yoguitar.

In the fall of 2015, I completed Yoguitar, Vol. 1. I created the album by improvising songs based on how I was feeling at the time, adding a few layers, and then playing whatever melodies came to me. I didn’t edit or revisit the songs. When I felt they were complete, I named them, and moved on until I had 15 tracks completed. It was the most honest recording I had ever done. I felt like an antenna receiving a broadcast. I received positive feedback ranging from people practicing yoga, to people going through addiction recovery, to parents calming their kids with it and many other heartfelt accounts of its positive effects. I was humbled and encouraged to keep going.

Through creating the music I was inspired with the idea of The Art of Slowing Down. It was my answer to the rapidly accelerating pace of daily life. I found that incremental changes to my lifestyle were having a huge impact on my well being. Things as simple as creating my own home spa with music and candles, spending more time in coffee shops, taking frequent walks outside, connecting deeply with friends, and focusing on gratitude were all contributing to a more balanced life.

Yoguitar is my passion. I want to help people feel a little bit better through listening to my music. My heart is in each piece. I am not exactly sure where the music comes from, but one thing for sure is that it’s completely honest. I hope Yoguitar has a positive influence on your life. I hope it’s a source of pleasure, healing, recovery, encouragement, and most of all I hope it makes you happy. Enjoy!

-Dave Hiltebrand